(Note: The
following is a digest of the essay "Hakhâmaneshiân Zartoshti Budand Va
Bas - Achaemenians Were Zoroastrians and Nothing Else" in Persian. It
was published in "Rahâvard," Los Angeles, of Spring 1998. It
discussed archeological and lingual aspects as well as the Avestan,
Babylonian, biblical, Egyptian, Greek, Pahlavi, Parthian, and other
sources to ascertain that the Achaemenians were Zoroastrians and that
originally closer to the Gathic Doctrine, their growing contacts with
other Zoroastrian schools gradually brought them nearer and nearer to the
Institutionalized Zoroastrianism of the Later Avesta. The digest here
covers only the Achaemenian bas-reliefs and inscriptions. References and
the Bibliography are given in the original Persian version.)

The Achaemenians ruled over the empire built by Cyrus the Great and
expanded later by others, for 228 years, from 559 to 331 BCE. Their
ancestors had ruled over Pârsa (Persia) for over 140 years. The
Median rule north of Persia was established earlier. The Medes had their
professional priests - Magu (Magus/Magi). They were also
Zoroastrians, more institutionalized than the Achaemenians, but since this
essay concerns the Achaemenians, we shall not deal with the Medes.

There have been a number of arguments that the Achaemenians were not
Zoroastrians and that like their akin Iranian Medians, they followed a
school of Indo-Iranian beliefs and practices. Their bas-reliefs do not
ever mention Zarathushtra, they do not call themselves Mazdayasni, they
worshiped gods of other nations, and a few more points.

Records by the Achaemenians are few, and their contents, generally in
multiple languages, are political. Brief mention of the divine favor and
other relevant matters do not describe the religion professed by these
tolerant and benevolent rulers of a first-time multinational empire.
Reports by the Greeks and Hebrews are the statements and narrations by
third persons, some relying on further third-person sayings.

A look through history presents similar examples. Many Christian and
Muslim royal monuments, from the earliest to modern times, have shown that
brief political records by benevolent rulers of multinational empires have
hardly touched religious matters. The above-mentioned arguments are,
therefore, not strong enough to declare the Achaemenians as
none-Zoroastrians. Perhaps the very scanty evidences may prove the case
otherwise. Let us go through them.

While old names depicting the pastoral society -- Aspachana, Âryaramna,
and Vishtâspa (Horse-lover, Aryan Peace and Active Horse) -- are retained,
the majority of the names reveal their closeness to the Farvardin Yasht
(stanzas 87-128 and 139-142) in which 261 men and women -- "Pourutkaesha
and Nabânazdishta," the foremost converts to the
Good Religion and their children who served to spread the Divine Message
of Zarathushtra -- have each been revered by name. The names show the
revolutionary change introduced by Zarathushtra alone. All those names,
which were inspired by the natural environment of the pastoral days --
names after animals, plants and daily living -- were retained. Names
showing attachment to pre-Zarathushtrian Indo-Iranian deities, such as
Mithra and Tishtrya, are not found. "Meaningful" names that reflect the
"Divine Message" make the majority in both the Farvardin and Achaemenian
lists.

Fire Altars: The next evidence is seen in the ruins. Pasargadae was
the capital of Cyrus the Great, a place, which served as religious center
for the coronation of Achaemenian kings in spite of the fact that
Persepolis and other later centers became politically of greater
importance. It was a vast park of gardens and buildings and was surrounded
by a thick wall, a feature which gave it the name of "paridaisa" or
pairidaeza," the origin of the term "paradise" (Persian "pardîs"
and Arabic "ferdows").

The sacred precinct of Pasargadae has two limestone plinths, one 7 feet
high and 8 feet square and the other 6 feet and 10 inches high and 9 feet
square. They were twin fire altars. Fragments of stone fire vases have
been found both in Pasargadae and elsewhere. Bas-reliefs by Darius the
Great and his successors as well as other contemporary monuments show the
use of the plinth. Fire blazes forth on the altar and the persons stand
before it with hands raised up in prayer. This is exactly how we see
Zarathushtra praying in the Gathas -- facing a blazing fire with hands
raised in prayers. The Haptanghâiti tells us that the praying congregation
stood around the altar. This is the Gathic way of praying.

Towers: There are two towers. One in ruins in Pasargadae, now
called Zendân-e Soleimân (Prison of Solomon), is a quadrangle of
2000 feet with a height of 43 feet. The other 36 feet high, called
Ka'beh-ye Zartosht (Cube of Zarathushtra), is at Naqsh-e Rustam.
Although opinions differ, the most likely possibility of their function is
that they were repositories of royal archives. Perhaps the copy of the
original Avestan collection, reported by the Denkard, was one of those.

Winged Figure: The much-debated winged figure, popularly known as
Fravashi, Farohar or Fravahar, is now generally accepted to represent the
"Royal Glory" hovering over the king. It does not have a religious
significance but shows that the Achaemenians believed that they were
protected by a divine glory. That reminds us of "Airyanem Khvarenô,
the Aryan Glory" and "Kavaem Khvarenô, the Kayanian Glory" of the
Avesta, particularly the Zamyad Yasht, a late post-Gathic composition.

Non-Gathic Haoma Cult: About 300 mortars, pestles and plates of
green stone have been found in the Persepolis Treasury. They date from the
reigns of Xerxes and Artaxerxes I (479-435 BCE). Some of them bear Aramaic
inscriptions, which provide the names of the donors. Although not used but
stored, they remind one of the non-Gathic Haoma cult. Some of the names,
like Dâta-Mithra, point to pre-Zarathushtrian divinity
names. Their presence shows the increasing penetration of the Later
Avestan rituals. It may be added that there is not a single Haoma bowl or
mortar and pestle among the large quantity of gold, silver and stone
vessels found in the Achemenian ruins, and that although some gold plaques
and seals show persons, standing with a barsom bundle or a flower
in hand and facing the fire-altar, no signs have been seen to show a Haoma
pounding or drinking ceremony.

Inscriptions: Lastly we come to the inscriptions on the bas-reliefs
and tablets at and/or found in Pasargadae, Persepolis, Naqsh-e Rustam,
Hamadan and Susa, all in southwestern Iran. The oldest is the famous
"Cyrus Cylinder" in the Babylonian language. It depicts Cyrus the Great as
a very benevolent conqueror who enters a city without bloodshed, frees and
rehabilitates captives, restores temples and pays respects to the gods of
the subject nations. The inscription, meant for Babylonians, is
strengthened by Isaiah (44.28-45.1-7) in which we see that although Cyrus
did not know the Hebrew God, he was to deliver the Hebrews from the
Babylonian captivity and rehabilitate them.

The inscriptions, from Darius the Great to Artaxerxes II, call God by the
name of 'Auramazda' (Ahura Mazda). Xerxes' inscription shows that
they knew that the term was made of two components -- Ahura and
Mazda. Ahura Mazda is a "great God," in fact, the "greatest of gods,"
because there are "other gods" also. Ahura Mazda is the god who "created
this earth, that sky, mankind, and happiness for mankind." He granted
Darius [the Great] wisdom and activity. Prayers for protection are asked
from Ahura Mazda and in a few instances also from "the gods of the house."

Artaxerxes II is the first to mention Anâhita and Mithra, two of the Later
Avestan Yazatas, in his inscriptions along with Ahura Mazda and ask for
their protection. In fact, in one inscription, he asks Mithra alone for
protection.

The word used for "god" is "baga" meaning "one who dispenses,
portions or distributes, dispenser" and not "ahura" (the Being, the
Essence) or "yazata" (the Venerated). While used frequently for
"god" in Sanskrit, it is rarely occurs in the Avesta. Zarathushtra uses it
once and that too to express his denunciation of Yima (King Jamshid) who
is "reported to have called himself the 'baga' of our world." There
are three more instances of "bagha" in the Later Avesta, one for
Ahura Mazda, another for Mithra as the "wisest" of them, and another for
the moon. The word clearly means "dispenser" of certain favors and not
"god" or "deity" the Creator, Maintainer and Promoter, as some like to
interpret. It stands for "god" in its secondary meaning.

Against Ahura Mazda, we have the "daiva" inscription of Xerxes. He
says that there was one place out of the 32 countries in his empire "where
previously "daivas," false gods were worshipped. Afterwards, by the
will of Ahura Mazda, I destroyed the 'daivdâna - sanctuary of
daivas,' and I made proclamation: 'The daivas shall not be
worshipped!' Where previously daivas were worshipped, there I
worshipped Ahura Mazda through righteousness (arta -- asha) with
reverence." The message is quite clear. He recognizes Ahura Mazda only.

Darius calls Ahura Mazda as "friend" and this recalls the Gathic concept
of being a lover and friend of Ahura Mazda.

Darius and his successors owe their renovating and progressive development
to Ahura Mazda. Darius is mentally awake and physically strong. He is a
righteous and just ruler who is the friend of the righteous and an
adversary of the wrongful. He rewards well the good and punishes the evil.
He treats the strong and weak on equal terms and only believes in what is
rightly proved. He is a tolerant and benevolent ruler of many nations. His
empire is the uniting factor of diverse cultures.

Root "yad" (Avestan "yaz") has been used for veneration and
worship. It has also given the words "ayadâna" for the place of
veneration and "Âthriyadi," Month of Fire-Veneration
(November/December) and "Bagayâdi" ( Month of Dispensor-Veneration
(September/October).

Calendar: This brings us to the Achaemenian Calendar. The names of
the months used by Darius are: (1) Adukanaisha (Food-digging (?) =
Farvardin, March/April), (2) Thűravâhara (Full-spring = Ardibehesht,
April/May), (3) Thâigarchish (Garlic-collecting (?) = Khordad,
May/June), (4) Garmapada (Heat-step = Tir, June/July), [the names
of the 5th and 6th months, equaling Amordad and Shahrivar
(July/September) are not given in Old Persian], (7) Bâgayâdish (Dispensor-Veneration
= Mehr, September/October), (8) Varkazana (Wolf-birth = Aban,
October/November), (9) Âthriyâdiya (Fire-Veneration = Azar,
November/December), (10) Anâmaka ('No-name' = Dey,
December/January), [name of the 11th month, equaling Bahman
(January/February) not mentioned in Old Persian], and (12) Viyaxna
(Ice-Melt = Esfand, February/March). They remind one of the Gathic
Gâhânbâr and the Vedic Calendar festivals and months, all named after
seasonal activities. They are far from the Later Avestan Calendar in which
days and months are named after "yazatas" and which is quite a late
innovation.

A considerate look at the entire picture portrayed by the inscription
shows that:

(1) Ahura Mazda is the Creator of the universe;
(2) There are other minor gods -- alien and akin -- respected by the
Emperors;
(3)There are fire plinths for open congregational worship;
(4) One prays, standing before a blazing fire altar, with raised hands;
(5) Gathic dualism of ethic "Right and Wrong" as against the Later Avestan
"cosmic" dualism of Ahura Mazda/Spenta Mainyu versus Anghra Mainyu;
(6) The Emperor treats his subjects, who belong to different races and
creeds, equally and kindly;
(7) Mortars and pestles of the Haoma cult, presented by persons with the
names of Later Avestan deities, are received, ceremoniously not used and
stored in the Royal Treasury when Xerxes and Artaxerxes I were reigning;
(8) The Emperor is an impartial judge who rewards the rightful and
punishes the wrongful;
(9) Two Later Avestan deities, Anâhita and Mithra, come in during the
closing time of the Achaemenians;
(10) Absence of the Later Avestan calendar, elaborate rituals and the
terms of "amesha spenta" and "yazata."

The picture that emerges from the above, indicates that the earlier
Achaemenians were more Gathic in their beliefs and practices than
their successors, and that with the passage of time and the increasing
contacts and mingling with Iranians of the Later Avestan background, they
turned more and more to an evolving form of the Institutionalized
Zoroastrianism that had its culmination during the Sassanian period
(224-652 CE). The gradual clouding of the pristine purity of the Divine
Doctrine of the Gathas by pre- and post-Gathic beliefs and practices began
during the melting period of the Achaemenians.